Ocean, nature, critters, and recreation

November 2011

Nov 30, 2011

As a longtime fisherman, I've only encountered a great white shark once, on a 50-foot party boat out of Oceanside, Calif. It was massive and we all stopped fishing to watch the predator linger immediately beneath the boat for several minutes.

So I can only imagine how awesome an experience it must have been for Matt Garrett and his friends, on a 20-foot boat, to be circled by an 18-foot white shark on a recent excursion 25 miles beyond Wrightsville Beach, N.C. (See the WECT News video report below.)

The shark swam around the vessel for 20 minutes and at one point nudged and tail-slapped the vessel. Garrett, who recently purchased a new iPhone, captured the event on video and the story is being widely circulated on the Internet.

Great white shark sightings are uncommon but not rare off North Carolina. However, sightings of sharks this large -- white sharks rarely exceed 20 feet -- are unusual, and for someone to capture video footage is rare.

Paul Barrington of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher told WECT that the shark was probably just curious about the fishing activity, and praised the anglers for not harassing the predator.

My great white shark sighting occurred more than 20 years ago and the image remains vivid to this day. Garrett and his friends are sure to remember this as the fishing experience of a lifetime, even if they didn't catch many fish.

Rarely does an accidental shooting during a hunting trip generate chuckles, but when a dog fills a duck hunter's buttocks full of bird shot as the hunter is planting decoys on the water, it's difficult not to be at least mildly amused.

Box Elder County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Kevin Potter described the incident: "One of the hunters was inside the boat with the dog, and the other hunter was in the water setting up decoys. The guy in the water had put his 12-gauge shotgun across the bow of their boat.

"The dog got excited, was jumping around inside the boat and then it jumped on the gun. It went off, shooting the [decoy setter] in the buttocks."

The hunters' names were not released and there's no truth to the rumor that former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney was involved.

Nov 29, 2011

Taiwan has passed a law that will make it illegal, beginning next year, for fishermen to bring shark fins minus the rest of the carcasses to port, a measure designed to curtail the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning (see Reuters and Al Jazeera video reports below.)

Taiwan, which has the world's fourth-largest shark fishery, becomes the first nation in Asia to adopt such a measure. Shark fins, which are used to make soup, are most popular in Chinese communities. The soup is considered a delicacy and status symbol; a single bowl can sell for up to $200 per bowl.

Shark finning entails slicing fins from captured sharks and tossing the rest of the shark overboard, often while it's still alive, to make room for more fins. Taiwan's law is designed to encourage the landing of the entire shark so the rest of the meat isn't wasted, and so fewer sharks are killed.

While this appears to be a positive step toward shark conservation -- shark finning is responsible for the killing of up to 75 million sharks per year -- some say it doesn't go far enough to protect against an unsustainable method of fishing.

For example, Taiwanese fishermen may still land fins in other nations. Another concern is that some fishermen will simply bribe inspectors hired to enforce the new law. Additionally, the new law does not reduce the number of sharks that can be caught each year.

See the videos for more information. Both contain graphic footage that helps to reveal the essence of finning.

The Scottsdale Gun Club in Arizona is inviting residents to have photos taken with "Santa and his Machine Guns." The club's website announces, "Santa's back with his bag of goodies," which are mostly high-powered automatic weapons.

One photo opportunity was Nov. 26. The next is Dec. 10. from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. (cost is $5 for members; $10 for non-members.)

Presumably, the promotion is designed to inspire interest among families and children in guns, and to stand up against proponents of gun control.

Richard Jones, a member of the club, told Phoenix news station KSAZ: "Whether you’re a gun advocate or you’re not, you should have a lot of fun with it."

It might be fun for some, but others are bound to find this campaign, and the accompanying video report, a bit unsettling.

Nov 28, 2011

It must be exciting to pilot a fighter jet, but imagine strapping a jet-powered wing onto your back and flying alongside the sleek and speedy aircraft.

Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy accomplished this last week above the Swiss Alps, having joined two Albatross fighter jets, in formation, for a brief flight before parachuting with his custom-built wing suit to the ground.

The suit the former Swiss fighter pilot designed weighs about 120 pounds and has a span of about six feet. It's controlled via hand-throttle and can reach speeds in excess of 130 mph. He joined the fighter jets after jumping with his wing from a helicopter.

Rossy, 51, is nicknamed "Jetman" and is the only man to have flown with a jet-powered wing. He first accomplished this in 2006. He first flew over the Swiss Alps in May of 2008. He later flew across the English Channel and last May he soared over the Grand Canyon.

After his brief flights -- they generally last about 10 minutes -- he parachutes with the wing to the ground.

He hopes eventually to be able to achieve the ability to take off and land from the ground.

Nov 25, 2011

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Pete Thomas Outdoors, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly California Outdoors Q&A column:

Question: We have a few residents and a lot of deer here on the Presidio of Monterey. Our problem is the deer have been very aggressive toward some people recently. I want to warn our residents and students to steer clear of them during the rutting/mating season but the message would be best received coming from an expert. Would you have prepared info or be willing to send me something we could quote in an article on staying safe during rutting season? I have included a photo taken by one of our residents. (Dan Carpenter, Chief of Public Affairs, Presidio of Monterey Defense Language Institute)

Answer: According to DFG Deer Program manager Craig Stowers, this picture is a great example of something I tell people all the time -- deer don’t make very good neighbors. In addition to generally being a nuisance by eating, trampling and defecating on landscaping and gardens, deer can also be dangerous to human beings and other domestic animals (particularly dogs). It’s obvious from the photo that these bucks are not "friendly" and should be given a wide berth, but even younger, smaller deer are very strong and unpredictable and should never be approached in any way.

There are a couple of times a year when there is an increased potential for a negative (especially for the human) encounter with a deer. The first is around late March to early June, when does have fawns in hiding or just at heel. The does are particularly protective of the fawns during this time period so do not approach any fawns or allow your dogs to do so. If a fawn is seen without a doe please do not assume the fawn is orphaned and needs rescue. The doe is undoubtedly in the area, most likely feeding or just waiting for you to leave the area so she can check back in on her fawn.

The second time to be aware of is around mid-November to mid-January when bucks are in rut. During this time of the year bucks are continually on the move, fighting other bucks and looking for does to breed. They don’t even take time to eat during the rut -- the urge to reproduce is overwhelming and not to be interfered with. The bucks in this photo are large and powerful animals with sharp antlers that can do a lot of damage to the human body. Even if you aren’t the target of the antlers, just getting caught up in a situation like this could be a very bad experience and is something to be avoided at all costs.

Like all wildlife, deer are best observed at a distance. Don’t feed them or try to interfere with their behaviors in any way. The photo represents an aspect of deer behavior that people should be aware of so they can act appropriately and avoid any negative interactions that could result. Although dramatic, I’m sure that most people (myself included) would prefer that the kind of "wildlife experience" shown in the photo not occur in my or my neighbors’ yard.

Q: Is it legal to keep female Dungeness crab that meet the minimum size requirements or do they have to be thrown back? I see a lot of people keeping only the males and tossing the females back and so wonder if the regulations require that only the males can be kept? (Josh M., Oakland)

A: Sport fisherman may keep the female Dungeness crab -- commercial fishermen must throw them back. Since the females are often much smaller and less meaty than the males and lack the large claws, many fishermen toss them back so they can reproduce more young for future generations. The larger females that meet the minimum size requirements also carry the most eggs and produce the most offspring, so it’s beneficial for the population to let the females go. However, there is no law that compels you to do so.

Q: How are fines determined and how can someone locate published documentation on fines? (John S., Bakersfield)

A: The maximum and minimum penalties for convictions of California laws are set by the Legislature. The penalties for Fish and Game violations are published in the Fish and Game Code starting with section 12000. The Fish and Game Code is available online at http://dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/.

Congratulations are in order for the son-and-father team of Andy and Scott McMillin, who won the overall 4-wheel title during the recently-concluded Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race. Cheers also go out to the drivers and motorcycle riders who displayed incredible skills and conducted themselves in a professional manner.

As for the many fans who lined strategic points along the grueling course in the northern Baja California desert, not all of them acted supportively or wisely. One fan in particular was singled out by Off-Road.com for foolishly positioning himself on the course, in front of a rut, hoping to photograph buggy drivers as they jumped the rut (see video).

The fan, being cheered by other fans, was jumped by one buggy. But Zac Langley, the driver of another buggy, had to stop to avoid hitting the fan. He then was given what looks like a one-finger salute by the fan as he drove off.

This is a dangerous race to begin with. Dimwitted fans should not be among the obstacles drivers must contend with. Hopefully next year this particular fan will have other plans during the race weekend.

Nov 20, 2011

The Reef Hawaiian Pro, the first jewel of the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing on Oahu's North Shore, is scheduled to begin Monday after a nine-day postponement because of a lack of swell.

The Nov. 12-23 competition window for the Haleiwa event ends Wednesday afternoon, so the contest will be run in only three days, with heats shortened to 20 minutes, at least for early rounds.

"In the 29-year history of running the Vans Triple Crown, we've never gone this far without running one competitive day," Randy Rarick, Executive Director of the series, said in a news release. "But we knew it was possible, given it's a La Nina year. We saw a similar pattern last year, but this year La Nina is more strengthened. This is precisely why we have a 12-day window. Without it, the event would not have been able to start."

Well-known stars scheduled to compete in the first round include Jamie O'Brien, Sunny Garcia, Tim Reyes and Nathaniel Curran. Many of the top surfers were automatically seeded into the second or third round.

Australia's Joel Parkinson, who won the last three Triple Crown titles, is skipping the event, citing a desire to relax before next month's Billabong Pipe Masters at Pipeline. The Pipe Masters is the next and final contest on the 2011 ASP World Tour. (It's also the third jewel in the Triple Crown.)

Carissa Moore,the reigning ASP women's world champion who was granted a wildcard entry into the Hawaiian Pro, will compete in the second round against Cory Lopez and two surfers from the first round. Moore is the only female in the lineup.

After the Hawaiian Pro are the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach (Nov. 25-Dec. 6) and the Pipe Masters (Dec. 8-20).

Nov 18, 2011

Scotland's national aquarium, Deep Sea World, has announced the birth of a rare angel shark pup, marking the first time the critically endangered species has been bred in captivity in the United Kingdom.

The shark was born prematurely and placed into a special nursery tank. The website announcement added that more pups may be born in the coming days.

Said Deep Sea World spokeswoman Aisling Thornton: "The first 24 hours are crucial and we are all just hoping for the best and keeping our fingers crossed. The female appears to be in good condition and we are expecting more pups to be born."

Angel sharks are very slow to mature and vulnerable to bottom trawling, set netting and other forms of indiscriminate fishing.